Chapter 475 - 444: The Magical Artifact is Complete

Chapter 475: Chapter 444: The Magical Artifact is Complete

As he stepped into the back mountains, a chorus of sharp cries immediately filled the air.

A Demon Bird was perched on nearly every large tree, with strengths ranging from the Qi Refining to the Golden Core Realm. Their types were simply innumerable. A single glance revealed a forest that seemed to have transformed into an ocean of Demon Beasts.

The ordinary trees had been replaced with Spirit Trees.

Amidst the woods, Liu Yuanqing, who had already reached Foundation Establishment, could be seen continuously directing his clansmen in planting more Spirit Trees—making the best use of everything, as they say.

After all.

With the Earth Store Profound Tree converting Spiritual Qi here, using the land to grow common trees would be a tremendous waste.

On one hand, these Spirit Trees could supply his own needs, allowing him to avoid searching outside for rare or obscure materials and achieve a degree of self-sufficiency. As for larger quantities of Spirit Trees, they were planted in various subordinate regions according to the environmental requirements.

Moreover, these Spirit Trees could also serve as roosts for the Demon Birds.

Thanks to the Little Chick, flocks of Demon Birds now gathered here. While not enough to trigger a beast tide, to prevent disciples from the Market and In the Valley from accidentally provoking them, Jinyun Valley had already designated the back mountains and several nearby peaks as a forbidden zone.

No entry without permission.

"Greetings, Valley Master."

Seeing Chen Che approach, Liu Yuanqing immediately trotted over to greet him, preparing to kneel.

"How is the Spirit Tree planting coming along?"

Chen Che raised a hand, holding him up with an unseen force.

"Reporting to the Valley Master, it will take another half a month to finish replacing all the trees."

Liu Yuanqing said cautiously.

His was one of the first vassal families to have contact with Jinyun Valley. He had even accepted a mission from Chen Che back then, but unfortunately, he had yet to find the Divine Court Wood. Thankfully, Chen Che hadn’t held it against him, instead assigning the Liu Family to search for other rare and unusual tree species.

"Good."

Chen Che nodded slightly. "But do not prioritize speed. You must ensure every single Spirit Tree survives."

"I will not disappoint you, Valley Master. I’ve had my clansmen carve their names onto every Spirit Tree. If any one of them fails to survive, they will pay for it with their lives."

Liu Yuanqing placed a hand on his chest and vowed solemnly.

Chen Che gave a wry laugh. He knew such practices existed in the Mortal World. When constructing important large-scale projects, artisans would even carve their names into the bricks. If a brick later broke, it would cost them their head.

Jinyun Valley didn’t go that far, but Liu Yuanqing’s attitude was certainly satisfactory.

"Your diligence is all that’s required."

Chen Che patted Liu Yuanqing’s shoulder and headed deeper into the back mountains.

The members of the Liu Family bowed their heads wherever he passed.

A few people secretly glanced up, and what they saw was strange. The mist that had shrouded the deep mountains silently parted as Chen Che walked through. It closed again only after he had passed, leaving the onlookers filled with curiosity.

"Ancestor, I didn’t realize there was an even deeper part of the back mountains..." a clansman asked in a low voice. "Several Golden Core cultivators have been coming and going from there. I wonder what’s inside?"

Before the words were even out of his mouth,

Liu Yuanqing shot him a fierce glare. "Insolence!"

"There are some things you not only shouldn’t ask about, but shouldn’t even look at or think about! The depths of the back mountains are a forbidden area of Jinyun Valley. If any of you dares take even a single step into that mist, you won’t have to wait for the Valley Master’s command. I’ll deal with you myself according to family law."

"Yes."

The clansman, knowing he had misspoken, obediently lowered his head and said nothing more.

Seeing his clansmen grow cautious, Liu Yuanqing snorted softly.

When one’s Realm was insufficient, it was foolish to pry into the affairs of the upper echelons. Sometimes, knowing too much was not a good thing. To them, a single speck of dust from a Golden Core True Master was a crushing mountain.

...

Walking out of the mist with his hands behind his back, Chen Che looked up to see everyone gathered together, their faces etched with solemnity. All eyes were fixed on the space in mid-air before them.

There, a massive Magical Artifact, more than ten zhang in length, was bathed in innumerable runes.

Beneath the Magical Artifact, Yu Qian sat cross-legged.

He was constantly forming Seal Techniques with his hands. With each movement, streams of runes materialized from the void, swimming through the air, brilliant and mysterious.

’Is he about to succeed?’

Seeing this, Chen Che stood to one side, careful not to disturb Yu Qian.

Ever since they had all returned to the valley, the interrupted Artifact Casting had been put back on the agenda. For some time now, the Golden Core masters from Jinyun Valley and the Yu Race had remained in the back mountains, working in shifts to cast this Magical Artifact.

Now, after more than a month, the Magical Artifact had reached its most critical stage.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Yu Qian’s face grew pale, and beads of sweat covered his forehead. Just as his body began to sway, as if on the verge of collapse, he suddenly clenched his hand into a fist.

"Converge!"

BOOM!

It was as if an Immortal Emperor had issued a Pardon Decree.

Instantly, the runes circling in mid-air shot forward like a volley from ten thousand Crossbows. With a great CLANG, they all embedded themselves in the Magical Artifact.

Chen Che narrowed his eyes to get a better look.

After the light faded, a pair of giant, bizarrely shaped shears, a good twelve to thirteen zhang long, appeared before them. They seemed neither metal nor stone, their entire body a deep crimson. Within the deeply carved runes, a luster flowed like quicksilver.

"It’s done!"

Yu Qian beckoned with his hand. The Magical Artifact descended and immediately shrank, becoming the size of a common pair of tailor’s shears. He stood up and, though utterly exhausted, beamed as he cupped his hands to the others.

"I have not failed you. The Magical Artifact is complete—a Tier Three High Grade!"

"Let me see!"

Yu Yunfei immediately howled with excitement.

The others, seeing this, were also eager to have a look.

Jia Chaoyuan and Liang Yuan sat to one side. The former was muttering to himself while the latter nodded from time to time, the two of them apparently reviewing the process of Yu Qian’s Artifact Refining.

"Have you learned much from following Elder Yu’s Artifact Casting for so long?"

Chen Che asked, glancing over.

"Elder Yu has been a generous teacher, and I have gained a great deal. However, this junior’s understanding is still shallow, and I will need a long time to digest it all."

Liang Yuan first cupped his hands toward Yu Qian before answering.

Chen Che nodded in satisfaction. Jinyun Valley had no shortage of Magical Artifacts. Even if they did, enemy cultivators tended to provide them.

Mastering the skills themselves—that was what was truly crucial.

As the others passed the Magical Artifact around, he also took a careful look.

The shears looked more like a pair of pincers. The blades were lined with serrated teeth, and the handles were made of metal. If he hadn’t already known what Materials were used, he never would have guessed it was Forged from the Claw Clamp of a Mudskipper Shrimp.

"A month of Artifact Casting has finally borne fruit. You’ve worked hard, Elder Yu."

Chen Che stepped forward, cupping his hands in praise. "Please rest for a while here In the Valley. There’s no hurry to continue..."

"Not at all, not at all. To have created this Magical Artifact so quickly is the result of everyone working day and night. If it had been just me, it would have taken at least a year or a half."

Yu Qian stroked his beard, not taking all the credit.

"Besides, I was merely fortunate. Who knows how long this Mudskipper Shrimp lived, but its carapace was incredibly hard. The Claw Clamp itself was already perfectly suited for this kind of Magical Artifact. I only made some slight modifications to its basic form."

"And it just so happens that there were plenty of Materials here In the Valley. Otherwise, even if I worked my old bones to death, the most skillful housewife can’t cook a meal without rice."

This type of Demon Beast molts countless times throughout its life as it grows.

The hardest shell is always the last one it grows.

Since the beast’s body is no longer growing, the shell becomes saturated with Demon Qi over many years, making it the best possible Casting Material. However, such shells are extremely difficult to find, as most Demon Beasts will retreat to some unknown location when they sense their death is approaching.

"Valley Master Chen, would you like to test its power?"

Yu Qian asked, toying with the giant shears.

The most important thing after refining a Magical Artifact was to test its power. Many Magical Artifacts possessed a high Grade but had mediocre power. Of course, some with an average Grade could display power far exceeding others of the Same Tier.

"Alright."

After a moment’s thought, Chen Che drew a long saber.

This was the Tier Three Middle Grade long saber he had taken from Ke Zhengwen during the battle outside Faqian City. The two words "God-slaying" were carved into it. The blade was bloodstained and dark, carrying a somewhat sinister aura. There was no telling how many powerful cultivators Ke Zhengwen had slain with it.

"Here it comes!"

Chen Che formed a Seal Technique and threw the saber into the air.

With a HUM, the God-slaying Saber shot into the sky. Infused with True Essence, it instantly grew to over a hundred zhang in size, hanging suspended in the air. Its blade radiated a chilling pressure and billowed with black gas. Its terrifying might was such that it seemed a single strike could cleave Jinyun Valley in two.

Then, Yu Qian also raised a hand. The giant shears shot out, instantly growing to an immense size as they flew straight toward the God-slaying Saber.

With a loud KACHA, the shears’ blades met, instantly snipping through the True Essence surrounding the God-slaying Saber and leaving a huge gap. As Yu Qian clapped his hands together, the shears slammed shut, biting down on the saber’s blade like a monstrous maw.

DING!

Sparks flew with the sharp ring of metal on metal.

The next moment, both men recalled their Magical Artifacts, which flew back into their hands.

"Incredible!"

Chen Che caught the God-slaying Saber, and his eyelid twitched. A clear notch had appeared where the shears had struck. The shears themselves, in contrast, were completely unscathed.

"Impressive power!"

Chen Che nodded, satisfied.

And this was just from their first clash, where both had held back. Otherwise, that single strike could have snipped the saber in two.

"Let me try!"

Yu Yunfei took out a Tier Two High Grade Golden Hammer and tossed it into the air.

With a KACHA, the Golden Hammer was instantly snipped in two.

Then,

The others all took turns testing it and found the shears’ power to be truly extraordinary. Magical Artifacts below Tier Three could hardly withstand a single strike. Even Magical Artifacts of Tier Three also seemed fragile against them. Among Magical Artifacts of the Same Tier, its power was clearly top-class.

"Excellent, excellent."

After the tests, Chen Che was more than just satisfied.

"Oh, right, Valley Master Chen."

Yu Qian stroked his long beard and asked with a grin, "I have an impertinent request. I heard that on Celestial Beam Mountain, you once used a Gourd to send Lu Wanli flying. I wonder if I might borrow that Treasure Gourd for a look?"